Improvement in liquid-meters



Cdiluted mes lsiw dliiiiirr.

Letters .Patent No. 91,374, dated .Time 15, 1869.

IMPROVEMENT IN LIQUID-METERS. f

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part f the same.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J. PLUMER SMITH, of Cleveland, iuthe county of Cuyahoga, and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful AImprovements .in Water-Meters; and I do hereby declare that the Adilcrent views.

This invention has for its-object lthe measurement of wateraud otbelufluid, and the registering of the same in a mannerv automatically, by the employment o`f differential valves,.substantially as hereinafter more fully described.

In `figs. l and 2, A represents a plate or table, mounted upon the standards B.

'lo said table is secured, in a hermetical manner,

the cylinder O, which may be constructed either of glass or metal. l

Communicating with said cylinder is an ednctionwater pipe, D, provided with a stop-cock, E; also, an induction-pipe, F, and a registering eduction-pipe, G the purpose" of which will hereinafter be shown.

H, fig. 1, a detached view of which is shown in lg. 5, is avalve-chamber, having a direct and open relation to and communicating with the induction-pipe F.

I is the valve, the stem vof which isV supported by the stay J, thereby guiding and keeping the valve in position while in operation.

K is also a valve-chamber, having an open and direct relation to and communication with the pipe G.

In'said chamber is'fitted a needle-valve, L, the stem of which is provided with a regulating thumb-screw, a, and 'supported by an arm, M, to which it is secured, and attached to the valve I, and operated therewith conjointly, as hereinafter shown.

The recording-apparatus connected with the abovedescribed meter consists of the vibratorytrough A', pivoted at the points b, on which it oscillates, actuating thereby the wheels B', by-means of the pawls O', which in turn move the pointers D', on the`dial-plates E', as will hereinafter bei shown.

Having thus described the construction and arrangement of the meter, the practical operation of the sa me is as follows, viz:

The apparatus is attached`=to the hydrant or reservoir, from which the water or other fluid is to be drawn and measured, the `connection being made thereto by the induction-pipe F.

By virtue of the pressure of the water or other fluid,

the valve I is opened, allowing the water to ilow into the cylinder, from which it escapes by means of the exit or eduction-pipe D, the capacity of which being a little below that ofthe induction-pipe.

The cylinder will be kept full or partially full, thereby producing an equal'and uniform How of water therefrom, and which is carefully and accurately measured by the needle-valve referred to, and recorded by the register, thus:

Assuming that the valve I has a delivering-capacity of one thousand gallons per day, or hour, andthat the capacity of the needle-valve is one gallon for the same time.

This difference in capacity of the two valves, acting conjointly and under equal circumstances as to pressure, will determine thevolume 'of water discharged through the valve I, viz, while the one thousand gallons are running through the valve I, and escaping from the cylinder through the exit-pipe D, the one gallon willl escape from the cylinder through the needle-valve, elt being opened conjointly with the larger valve.

It will be obvious that this proportional dilierence in the discharging-capacity of .the valves may be varied indeiinitely'in either direction, as the nature of the circumstances attending vthe application of the Vinto which it is discharged.

Said trough, as aforesaid, is pivoted at the centre, and is divided' at said centre by a partition, c, fig. 4.

The weight of the one gallon of water, discharged into one compartment of the trough, will cause it to descend, as indicated by the dotted line'd, iig. 3,l thereby operating the pointers upon the dial-plate, moving them from one index-ligure to-another. The position of the trough is now such that the water discharged therein will run out at the lip e.' At the same time water is flowing into th'e opposite compartment, now under the end of the pipe, to the extent of one gallon, as before, and to the. extent of one thousand gallons from the larger pipe D. Y

At this time the trough will again vibrate, coming to the position as indicated bythe dottedline j, fig. 2, thereby operating the pointers by the mechanism of the wheels and pawls, whereby is indicated the second gallon of water discharged into the trough, and a corresponding discharge of a second thousand gallons through the pipe D, and so on as long as the machine is continued to be operated, the valve I discharging one thousand gallons in a giveu time, and the auxiliary or needle-valve one gallon in the same time, and indicating the same by theregister in the manner aforesaid.

By this device, the water or other duid is accurately Y measured, and the measurement indicated by one eon or other vessel, plaeed underneath, thereby operating tinuous operation.

By changing the size of the auxiliary or needle-valve a, the proportional difference between the two valves can be regulated to any desirable ratio, so that any fractional part of 'a gallon may be made to represent any number of gallons orl barrels discharged by .the valve I; hence, in measuring oils or other` expensive fluids, less waste, or rather quantity of oil for operating the registeriug-apparatus will be required, arid' which may be discharged from the trough into a tube the apparatus Without loss.

What I claim as my improvement, and desire to The combination of the valve I and chamber H, as arranged in relation to and with the needle-valve L, and operating njointlytllerewith, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

Witnesses: J'. PLUMERv SMITH.

J. H. BURRIDGE, E. E. Warm. 

